tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6671411654459615308..comments2015-03-03T13:36:46.302-05:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: MONDAY, Jun. 29 2009 — Yeller in Yale Bowl / Bravura performances / Old Pontiac muscle cars /Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31932327944212067472009-08-03T18:39:57.387-04:002009-08-03T18:39:57.387-04:00Singer, thank you for the comment on the word “moo...Singer, thank you for the comment on the word “moot”. I appreciate that you are interested and took the trouble. But I believe I’ve spotted an inconsistency in your American Heritage Dictionary Usage Note -- an inconsistency that bears on the issue being discussed.<br /> The Note suggests that the example sentence will demonstrate the word “moot” being used to mean &quot;of no significance or relevance&quot; and of “no practical value”. But does the example sentence achieve that claim? I think it doesn’t for this reason: It is not stated what the nominee’s concerns actually were, so we must speculate to help the hypothetical along. Suppose the nominee’s concerns were that the White House was being war-mongering, or racist (or fill in the blank with a significant issue) in its lack of support. In that case the nominee’s concerns could never possibly be emptied of all significance, relevance or value.<br /> If some nominee is chastising the White House, is it plausible to imagine that his concerns would be rendered empty of significance by some political move by one party or the other?<br /> The American Heritage Dictionary Usage Note’s repeated word “no” contained in its claim is a problem, it’s absolute and the example doesn’t support it with any similar absoluteness.<br /> To bring claim and example into agreement, I think American Heritage should consider narrowing the context in its claim, so that it would instead suggest that the example sentence will demonstrate the word “moot” being used to mean &quot;of no significance or relevance&quot; and of “no practical value” -- but only in the narrow context of the debate at hand (the nominee’s election).<br /> But that would not support the crossword clue. So I may still hold to my view that the clue is erroneous, perhaps not forever, but for now.<br /> I guess the challenge would be (... thinking prescriptively ...) for someone out there to be a bit more rigorous than my second favorite dictionary was (in this instance) and try and find example sentences.<br /> By the way, the entry in the “M’s” in my dictionary doesn’t insist on the absoluteness of the “no” that I mentioned above, and in that regard sides with my suggestion, and contradicts both the crossword clue as well as the Usage Note that you quote, singer. And my dictionary is also an American Heritage -- of all things.Richard Cottrellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38680737118497784032009-08-03T14:54:27.697-04:002009-08-03T14:54:27.697-04:00From the American Heritage Dictionary:
&quot;Usag...From the American Heritage Dictionary:<br /><br />&quot;Usage Note: The adjective moot is originally a legal term going back to the mid-16th century. It derives from the noun moot, in its sense of a hypothetical case argued as an exercise by law students. Consequently, a moot question is one that is arguable or open to debate. But in the mid-19th century people also began to look at the hypothetical side of moot as its essential meaning, and they started to use the word to mean &quot;of no significance or relevance.&quot; Thus, a moot point, however debatable, is one that has no practical value. A number of critics have objected to this use, but 59 percent of the Usage Panel accepts it in the sentence &#39;The nominee himself chastised the White House for failing to do more to support him, but his concerns became moot when a number of Republicans announced that they, too, would oppose the nomination&#39;. When using moot one should be sure that the context makes clear which sense is meant.&quot;singernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38362331539792519802009-06-30T23:53:52.557-04:002009-06-30T23:53:52.557-04:00@Bob Kerfuffle -Bob that is a wonderful comment, a...@Bob Kerfuffle -Bob that is a wonderful comment, and incredibly fascinating -- and very much appreciated. I resist respectfully disagreeing. With &quot;moot&quot; you&#39;re of course interpreting, in a prescriptive manner, what popular use is doing to the word, and I suspect you are well up to that task -- except this once. I believe the way moot is commonly used does not rule out that a point, however it may be rendered impertinent and meaningless at the moment, may still be worthy in another context or in the following moment. That&#39;s my interpretation. But I&#39;m glad it prompted your previous comment, which is worth reading again.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240841801900381911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4592211077669525972009-06-30T12:04:28.819-04:002009-06-30T12:04:28.819-04:00Her&#39;s part of what I found in Wikipedia when I...Her&#39;s part of what I found in Wikipedia when I googled &quot;Contranym&quot;:<br /><br /> An auto-antonym (sometimes spelled autantonym), or contranym (originally spelled contronym), is a word with a homograph that is also an antonym. Variant names include antagonym, Janus word, enatiodrome, and self-antonym. It is a word with multiple meanings, one of which is defined as the reverse of one of its other meanings.<br /><br />For example, the word &quot;fast&quot; can mean &quot;moving quickly&quot; as in &quot;running fast,&quot; or it can mean &quot;not moving&quot; as in &quot;stuck fast.&quot; To buckle can mean &quot;to fasten&quot; when used transitively or &quot;to bend then break&quot; intransitively. To weather can mean &quot;to endure&quot; (intransitive) or &quot;to erode&quot; (transitive). &quot;Out&quot; can mean both shining, as in &quot;The stars are out tonight,&quot; or it can mean the opposite, as in &quot;Please turn out the lights.&quot; Weedy can mean overgrown (the garden is weedy) or stunted (he is weedy). To overlook can mean &quot;to inspect&quot; or &quot;to fail to notice&quot;. &quot;Strike&quot;, in baseball terms, can mean &quot;strike the ball&quot; - &quot;hitting the ball&quot; or &quot;Strike!&quot; - &quot;missing the ball&quot;. This phenomenon is also called &quot;enantionymy&quot; or &quot;antilogy.&quot;<br /><br />The terms &quot;autantonym&quot; and &quot;contronym&quot; were originally coined by Joseph T. Shipley in 1960 and Jack Herring in 1962, respectively. A related term, pseudo-contronym, was coined by David Morice in 1987.[citation needed]Bob Kerfufflehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9675241653208658162009-06-30T11:53:11.407-04:002009-06-30T11:53:11.407-04:00@Richard - Thanks for the opening. I had been thi...@Richard - Thanks for the opening. I had been thinking of noting that &quot;moot&quot; is one of that class of words, the proper name for which escapes me at the moment, which can mean two completely opposite things, like &quot;cleave&quot;, &quot;sanction&quot;, etc. I only hesitated because some people will say that &quot;moot&quot; has taken on the meaning of not worth debating even tho the original meaning was of something which was a subject of discussion at a town meeting, etc.Bob Kerfufflehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73930956983744909532009-06-30T10:51:41.311-04:002009-06-30T10:51:41.311-04:00Is the Moot clue an error? (3 down) I understand...Is the Moot clue an error? (3 down) I understand &quot;Moot&quot; to mean that a debating point can be seen as not pertinent to a particular debate (the debate at hand) -- but may still be worth debating elsewhere. A point that is &quot;moot&quot; is not necessarily unworthy.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240841801900381911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45092369218198516552009-06-30T06:28:26.429-04:002009-06-30T06:28:26.429-04:00My regards to green mantis also if fergus reads t...My regards to green mantis also if fergus reads this .chefbeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24947725581915260922009-06-30T00:45:54.595-04:002009-06-30T00:45:54.595-04:00thank you for posting the links. now i am not only...thank you for posting the links. now i am not only standing corrected, i am completely nerve wracked. man that&#39;s some intense puzzle filling.<br /><br />i&#39;ll use the excuse that i prefer to fill out the puzzles lazily as well. seems as good an excuse as any, and doesn&#39;t force me to admit what we all know to be the case: a lack of knowledge mixed with a lack of experience mixed with a lack of time mixed with a lack of hand-eye coordination.<br /><br />i do check this site every day since moving to NYC and taking up my newest fledgling hobby.<br /><br />so thanks for the thorough daily updates.<br /><br />...ryanRyan Dunnhttp://www.liftingfaces.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91469255751017490882009-06-29T23:35:35.652-04:002009-06-29T23:35:35.652-04:00foodie,
Your fascination with respect to speeders...foodie,<br /><br />Your fascination with respect to speeders is so congruent with mine. Tyler and Orange and Rex are outposts several standard deviations away from an admittedly already whacko mean.<br /><br /><br />Many sigmas considered.fergushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-137906312464464282009-06-29T23:20:12.220-04:002009-06-29T23:20:12.220-04:00@fergus-
Green Mantis was one of the most unique ...@fergus-<br /><br />Green Mantis was one of the most unique voices on the blog and I miss her.<br /><br />If you would, give her my regards.Bill from NJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103923612595508277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59871290066999321222009-06-29T23:06:48.793-04:002009-06-29T23:06:48.793-04:00I&#39;m a serious Paula Gamache fan!...and a fan o...I&#39;m a serious Paula Gamache fan!...and a fan of the blog (it&#39;s my first time commenting).<br /><br />I agree with @fergus...I used to be serious about times, but lazing over a puzzle is just as satisfying.<br /><br />Keep up the great work Rex and Commenters!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065487603101846799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51019354543582771662009-06-29T22:14:53.139-04:002009-06-29T22:14:53.139-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.johohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48321618892925777832009-06-29T22:14:51.791-04:002009-06-29T22:14:51.791-04:00@fergus... also send my good wishes to Green Manti...@fergus... also send my good wishes to Green Mantis from me ... she was so nice and sharing when I first came to this blog.<br /><br />3 &amp; out.johohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79524205465493835932009-06-29T21:46:57.995-04:002009-06-29T21:46:57.995-04:00As a neuroscientist, I&#39;m totally fascinated by...As a neuroscientist, I&#39;m totally fascinated by the speed solvers! Of course we know that people differ on almost every dimension we can think of, and the example of eye-hand coordination in shooting baskets is one good instance. But this feels as if there are truly vast fundamental differences in processing speed between brains (even between the brain of very smart people). While it might seem like a specific skill akin to perfect pitch, it requires such integration of complex input (e.g. tangential or misleading clues) and output that it really is remarkable!<br /><br />I wish I could image the brain circuits of a speed solver while solving (we need to first improve our ability to study fast dynamics of brain circuits) and I often wonder what the actual biological underpinning of this talent is. <br />But I would even settle for understanding its ramifications in real life. What else can you guys do that&#39;s amazing? This is so cool!<br /><br /> Sorry, I get carried away...<br /><br />@mac &amp; andrea, I like foodey as an alternate spelling : ). You should see what people do to my real name!<br /><br />@fergus, please tell Green Mantis we miss her!foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46190024832093286412009-06-29T21:40:32.648-04:002009-06-29T21:40:32.648-04:00@John said
Hi,
Take a look at Leon (8:28am)
eve...@John said<br /><br />Hi,<br /><br />Take a look at Leon (8:28am)<br /><br />even has a link<br /><br />(sorry, pet peeve)<br /><br />.../GlitchGlitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14940000404613329056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1769601423157647312009-06-29T21:20:22.862-04:002009-06-29T21:20:22.862-04:00@fergus: tell Green Mantis hello, we do miss her. ...@fergus: tell Green Mantis hello, we do miss her. I just saw some of these little creatures on TV last night (after Poirot), and apparently they are tameable. The may spend their entire life on ONE PLANT! Obviously our mantis is more adventurous.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59875991046915603612009-06-29T21:13:50.689-04:002009-06-29T21:13:50.689-04:00For sentimental Crossworld types, I received a nic...For sentimental Crossworld types, I received a nice note from the Green Mantis last night. Apparently it is not simply a seasonal insect migration to Mexico. Beach life has removed her from our association, but still a plaintive call for the occasional wry, furtive intellectual stimulation remains an attraction.fergushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16204343353832924722009-06-29T21:13:43.401-04:002009-06-29T21:13:43.401-04:00I originally had EXOTIC instead of EROTIC, which w...I originally had EXOTIC instead of EROTIC, which worked with 40-across because mustangs roamed across horse X-INGS (or so I thought). Ah well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53500406323556288572009-06-29T21:08:52.377-04:002009-06-29T21:08:52.377-04:00Im sorry nobody mentioned the 1940 W.C.Fields movi...Im sorry nobody mentioned the 1940 W.C.Fields movie, &quot;The Bank Dick&quot; Edgar SOUSE ( accent grave over the &quot;E&quot;).<br /><br /> Oh BTY putting TUT TUT in for TSK TSK was VERY sneaky for a monday!Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82067986450530864582009-06-29T20:40:34.938-04:002009-06-29T20:40:34.938-04:00@BobK &amp; PG --- thnx
Your links should put an ...@BobK &amp; PG --- thnx<br /><br />Your links should put an end to this round of &quot;speed solving&quot; disbeliefs, but there will be another, sure as my cup is now filled with a nice Merlot rather than morning coffee.<br /><br />(Actually, it&#39;s a different cup)<br /><br />.../GlitchGlitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14940000404613329056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78871551689534513572009-06-29T20:33:32.096-04:002009-06-29T20:33:32.096-04:00For what it&#39;s worth, my finest puzzle entertai...For what it&#39;s worth, my finest puzzle entertainment comes from a Friday or Saturday puzzle perfectly filled in, with nothing written over. Whether it takes 15 minutes or an hour and a half, I don&#39;t care that much. Both speed and langour have similar levels of satisfaction. <br /><br />If I had to choose the perfect puzzle, it would be one I almost nailed yet still had a curious corner of mysterious combinations still to consider.fergushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43861787610970323442009-06-29T20:03:02.622-04:002009-06-29T20:03:02.622-04:00For anyone interested, here are a couple videos of...For anyone interested, here are a couple videos of speed solving.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFSgbU7ufWA" rel="nofollow">Dan Feyer</a> (on computer)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxHNvVZo16M" rel="nofollow">Tyler Hinman</a> (on paper)PuzzleGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06835502266781516627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26108510622393718402009-06-29T20:02:39.164-04:002009-06-29T20:02:39.164-04:00@twangster - Here is Tyler Hinman doing a Times pu...@twangster - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eGGiPFGsJ0" rel="nofollow">Here</a> is Tyler Hinman doing a Times puzzle in about the time it takes me to get comfortable in my chair.Bob Kerfufflehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83396597635252971702009-06-29T19:45:54.065-04:002009-06-29T19:45:54.065-04:00I would love to see a video of someone solving the...I would love to see a video of someone solving the puzzle in 3 minutes -- not because I don&#39;t believe it&#39;s possible but because it would be fun to see how it&#39;s done. Maybe it would even become popular on youtube.<br /><br />For Mondays I&#39;m usually in the 6-8 minute range and my personal best is 4:50.twangsterhttp://twangster.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61561228718982289872009-06-29T19:43:03.446-04:002009-06-29T19:43:03.446-04:00Nice for a Monday puzzle.
Mott the Hoople made my ...Nice for a Monday puzzle.<br />Mott the Hoople made my day.<br />Many a story from back in the day but..<br />Last week Ian played at Rockefeller Park in NYC for free. I got there just as he took the stage &quot;Hallo, hallo, hallo.&quot; And then the sun came out after many days of ugliness and rain. No &quot;Cleveland Rocks&#39; but many other good ditties to make my day. Woohoo!!!Betsy the midwifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15218063369714087124noreply@blogger.com